


Extra Credit

by sistersadeyes



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: College AU, F/M, Kate & Richie are my friendship goals, Kate is good student af, Richie is such a sweet heart, someone has to tame the wild & raucous Seth Gecko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2018-08-31 16:16:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8585299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sistersadeyes/pseuds/sistersadeyes
Summary: in which Kate is a student worried about making good grades, Richie is a sweet heart TA looking out for his best & brightest, and Seth walks in ready to fuck shit up





	1. hardships aren't hard when you're going through with a friend

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely based on an obsession I have with my geography TA, loosely adapted to fit the characters (bc Seth Gecko would never be a grad student). I hope you enjoy!!

“This wasn’t your best work, Kate.” Richard said as he handed her back her graded essay. She knew it wasn’t good. In fact, she’d been embarrassed to hand it in to her insanely attractive TA. She’d been intimidated by him at first, the way he always looked well put together with his suits and horn-rimmed glasses, but he took notice of her almost immediately. She sat in the front row, always answered the professor’s questions, and even showed up to his office hours when she wanted to get his opinion on things. They’d built up a rapport, and Kate was devastated when she had to turn in their deliberative essays after having forgotten when it was due and writing it an hour before class.

 

“I know; I don’t even want to know what this is going to do to my grade in here. And my GPA. I can’t believe this happened.” She responded, the bright red “78” glaring at her, taunting here.

 

Richard liked Kate – not in the way people think. He can see a little bit of himself in here. The intelligence, the drive, the earnest to learn. He didn’t want to let this bring her down. “Are you free during my office hours today? You can swing by and we can look at ways to supplement this a little?”

 

Dejectedly, Kate shoved the essay into her messenger bag. “I have work until 8 in the Kerr dining hall.”

 

“What about after? I think you’re above this and I want to do all I can to help you.”

 

Kate’s green eyes met his blue ones and she could see the genuine care in them. She loved the fact that what she’d been told about college wasn’t totally true; TAs and professors care as much as you do – the effort you apply is always returned. “After would work!”

 

Richard smiled at her, “Okay, I won’t be able to meet you in my office, though. They’re closing the Environmental Science building early today for a seminar. But I live in the grad student apartments on the far west side of campus, number 208.”

 

Kate nodded her head before pushing her desk out of the way and jumping up to give him a hug. The class around her laughed and Richard himself didn’t quite know what to do but pat her on the back. “Thank you so much.”

 

The class’ giggles died down as Kate returned to her seat and their professor walked in and immediately jumped into lecture. Kate could already feel her dark, cloudy mood drifting away and the possibility of maybe actually having a good day unfold before her. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face through the whole hour.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a good day, and Kate was kicking herself for allowing that little niggle of hope to squirm its way into her heart. She hadn’t had a good day in so long, she was beginning to forget what it felt like to not constantly be stressed, exhausted, hungry, or just generally miserable. Today, though, wasn’t the worst she’d had. Just some bozo who knocked her over as she was refilling the salad bar causing the entire container of ranch dressing to pour onto her and one of her fellow student workers deciding cooking leftovers in the microwave would be speedier and more efficient if they left the food wrapped in foil.

 

Kate’s only saving grace was that she always carried some work-out clothes in her backpack in the case that she found time to get around to the student rec to fit in some exercise (she never did), and even though the ranch stained clothes are long gone in a dumpster behind the dining hall, she just can’t seem to shake the smell. That’s how she found herself walking to the apartment of arguably one of the most attractive men she’d ever met looking a mess, smelling a mess, and just feeling a mess.

 

It wasn’t a good day.

 

Richard answered the door all smiles though. Richard didn’t let her see that he was taken back at her appearance, or smell, or the tired look in her eyes. Richard opened his door, saw her, and pushed it open even wider to allow her to duck beneath it and enter the cozy little apartment.

 

“Welcome,” he said, reaching over to take her bag and hang it on the hooks next to the door, “Make yourself comfortable, I was just making some coffee if you want some. I’ve got a long night of grading ahead of me.”

 

Kate politely shook her head and watched as he disappeared back into the tiny galley kitchen. She liked his apartment, it was nice. Sparse, but nice. It looked homey and loved and she nearly squealed when a large grey tuft of fur jumped into her line of sight.

 

“That’s Boris, he’s technically not supposed to be here but I helped the apartment manager pass Spanish last year so he keeps his trap shut.” Richard said as he reentered the room with a steaming mug for himself and a glass of ice water for Kate.

 

“¿Tu hablas español?” Kate asked, sitting back on the recliner across from where Richard sat on the couch.

 

“Sí, este es Texas, ¿no?” Richard chuckled, “My brother and I spent quite a while in Mexico few years back. Had to adapt.”

 

Kate tensed at him talking about his brother, and immediately back tracked from the conversation. She didn’t talk about brothers; she didn’t talk about family. Half of them are dead and the only one she has left hasn’t spoken to her since they both had graduated from high school.

 

Richard could feel her unease and instead directed the conversation to her paper, “So I know you’re not proud of this and I wish I could let you redo it but I can’t. What I can do, though is give you an extra credit assignment to supplement the points you’re missing now. Professor C said it was no problem because it’s you and she knows how hard you work in her class.”

 

“Oh my goodness, thank you so much, Richard. This, really, this means the world to me. I’ve got to keep a 4.0 or I’ll lose my scholarship and I’m already making a B in my French class. I can’t afford another one.”

 

“Honestly, Kate, it’s the least I can do. You work very hard and we can all see that and if there’s anyone at this university who deserves a second chance it’s you. And please, call me Richie.”

 

Kate blushes at his insistence that she use a nickname for him, she doesn’t really know how to interact with men since the only relationship she’d ever had was with Kyle the Choir Boy whose idea of flattery was texting her bible verses featuring the word “beautiful” 8 times a day.

 

“Ok… Richie.”

 

* * *

 

Kate and Richie’s relationship grew from there. They weren't involved romantically, but both had trouble connecting with others and found solace in finally having someone to relate to. It wasn’t as weird as they’d expected. Sure, he was older and her teacher’s assistant but it didn’t affect them. They went drinking, grabbed take out, watched movies, and just became a crutch for one another when things got difficult.

 

Kate told him about her parents, about the car accident, about her brother leaving her in the dust to travel with his band, about how she struggles to maintain a 4.0, work on campus, and grade for money on the side.

 

Richie told her about his parents, about the fire, about his brother leaving him in the dust to live a life of crime rather than become a normal functioning member of society, about how he struggles with his responsibilities, and making it through the day without his brother being there as the support he’d been so accustomed to.

 

They both had their demons, and neither wanted to face them alone. They were two co-dependent people struggling to make their world work without that much needed form of support and so they latched on to one another.

 

That all came crashing down when Seth Gecko stormed into his brother’s tiny apartment, gun in hand, and angry drug lords not too far behind him.

 


	2. gods of chaos knocking at your door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took a while. Working retail on black friday on top of being unbearably behind in a majority of my classes kinda won out against writing this. The end is near though! With the end of the semester looming beautifully ahead, knowing that it brings more time to write shitty fanfiction is what's getting me through the days.

“You can’t be here, ok? I have a life, I have a job, I’m trying to make a future for myself! You can’t just show up here out of nowhere and screw things up for me again.”

 

“Come on, Richie. I need you. I can’t be Los Hermanos Geckos by myself! I’ve got this great deal in the works, this guy Carlos wants me to pull a job down in Mexico and I’m walking away with $20 mil, alright? But I can’t do it alone!” The voice was urging, pushing, pressuring. Kate wasn’t a fan already.

 

Standing outside, she couldn’t decide whether to knock or leave. It didn’t sound like something Richie would want her involved in and from the stories of Richie’s past she wasn’t entirely sure it was something she wanted herself involved in either. Though she didn’t have much of a choice when the door swung open and Richie pushed a shorter, broader man out of his apartment.

 

“I told you, Seth. I’m done with that life, and I’m not interested in revisiting it, even if it’s not permanent, ok?” Richie seethed before looking up and seeing Kate.

 

“Richie?” She asked tentatively, looking back and forth between the two brothers.

 

Seth eyed her up and down appreciatively, “I see why you don’t want to leave, Richard. Got a hot piece of co-ed ass keeping your bed warm?”

 

Kate’s face morphed into a look of disgust and out of instinct, she reared back and punched him right in the face.

* * *

 

Kate left Richie’s tiny apartment with guilt weighing heavy on her chest. She just heard Richie and he’d sounded upset and then that… that _man_ said those _horrible_ things and it was as if she couldn’t control herself. Richie hadn’t looked angry with her, but Seth was irate before his brother urged her out the door with a promise that he’d call her before the night was over. She was anxious about what he would have to say, but thankful that she had work to keep her mind occupied.

 

Slopping food in the dining hall wasn’t an ideal job, but it sometimes gave her a break. The closer they got to the end of the semester, the less time people spent around campus. Most students were either holed up in their dorms, apartments, or the library studying. The worst she had to deal with was a few people making a quick sweep through the line before retreating, food in hand back to hit the books.

 

The only difficult part of the job, especially at this time of the year, was that it took away from her own studying time. Kate was proud of the grades she made, and had no problem putting in the hours that it took to get them. But it’s gotten to the point that she’s put in one too many late nights and dragging herself out of bed in the morning for an 8am class is getting harder and harder.

 

It would be over soon, though. Finals were next week and she couldn’t wait to be done. Campus was closed for Christmas; she didn’t have to work, she didn’t have to study, no one was piling heaps of papers onto her desk for grading. The relief Christmas brought almost overshadowed the fact that she was completely and utterly alone.

 

Almost.

 

Kate tried not to dwell on it too much, remembering the happy Christmases with her family, sitting around the tree, cocoa in hand, listening to her father read the story of the birth of Jesus from his old, tattered bible. The memories bring both joy and sadness to her heart, and while some might refer to how she feels as “nostalgic,” no one knows how much they plague her every thought through the month of December. She missed her family, but more than that she missed the times she spent with them, the stories she shared with them, the laughter and the tears, the hugs and the fights. More than anything else she missed _having_ a family.

 

Richie said they could spend Christmas together this year. He said she was welcome to come whenever she wanted and that the two of them, along with the company of Boris, could binge drink spiked eggnog and watch White Christmas and see who can sing Barbra Streisand’s version of Jingle Bells better whilst drunk.

 

Her only fear of his brother’s return was that she wouldn’t get to have someone at Christmas, and she hated that she’s having such selfish thoughts but simply couldn’t help herself.

* * *

 

It was late but Kate couldn’t bring herself to go to sleep for fear that she would miss Richie’s call. She didn’t know what to expect, from what he had told her he and his brother got along well in the past but hadn’t ended on good terms and often clashed explosively.

 

What she didn’t expect was him pounding on her dorm room door in a drunken stupor, obviously distraught.

 

“Kate,” His voice quivered when she answered it and she was taken aback by how undeniably hopeless he looked. Stepping aside, she pushed her door open wider allowing him to stumble in and plop down onto her tiny twin sized mattress with his back to the wall and eyes downcast.

 

Staring at her only friend, weak and slumped over and obviously in a manic state, Kate knew one thing was for certain. She was going to _kill_ Seth Gecko.


	3. a regular angel of retribution

Kate found herself standing outside the door of Richard Gecko’s apartment. She was pacing, seething in anger, and had no idea how to get a handle on it. But she didn’t like to take action in anger, though it had led her all the way to that point before she realized she needed to take a moment and breathe.

Truly, she struggled controlling herself. At this point in her life, Richie was very much so her only friend. He’d become her rock, her stability, and she the same to him. To see him, curled up on her tiny twin bed – traumatized by the actions of this unknown quantity. She was simply livid.

And from what Richie had told her about his brother, she had every right to be. Seth Gecko was a destructive, manipulative sociopath only concerned with what piece of ass he could stick his dick in next. Richie often backtracked on comments like these, trying to give some not to his older brother’s character in that he never allowed Richie to take the full force of their father’s anger, nor did he allow Richie to go hungry, or later be bullied.

Kate had a hard time with these leniencies, knowing that the hurt voiced by Richie in describing the transgressions of his older brother were not for nothing. There was pain in Richie’s past and it was evident that most of it stemmed from the tainted soul of his older brother.

It was because of this that Kate found the strength to pound her fist on the door. She was not happy, and whoever, if anyone, was on the other side could tell that from the aggression behind her hammering against the cheap wooden door.

* * *

 

To say that Seth wasn’t happy to see the tiny spitfire responsible for the swelling and discoloration around his left eye would be an understatement. To first be woken from his drunken stupor and made to deal with the pounding headache and aggressively loud noises around him, then to have to answer to the little demon his brother was keeping company with those days was too much for old Seth Gecko. He opened the door enough for her to enter without letting in too much light before turning and falling face first back onto the cheap Ikea couch the university furnished his brother’s apartment with.

Kate made it clear she wasn’t interested in maintaining Seth’s comfort when, as she walked in, she turned to the blinds blocking out the majority of the morning sunlight from the front windows and yanked them open as abruptly as possible.

“What the fuck, kid?” Seth groans, trying to pull his blanket up over his eyes, making it come up to uncover his feet. He groaned with a shiver.

Kate glared at the figure cowering beneath the worn old quilt, a look of disgust evident on her face. “Get up, Seth. We need to talk.”

He chuckled, pulling the blanket down to allow his eyes, squinting in the morning light to meet with hers, “If I had a dollar for every woman who said that to me, I’d be a very rich man. Most of those women far prettier than you, squirt.”

His words stung for some reason, but that pain wasn’t betrayed by her face. Rather, she rebuffed, “Then you wouldn’t have to pull con jobs like a piece of shit dead beat, coercing his younger brother into leaving the one good thing he’s got going for him.”           

“And what’s that, princess; you? Where is my dear brother, anyways? I need his answer, so we can hit the road.”

Kate scowled at the implication that Richie was leaving with him. Again, she felt guilt at her selfish intentions as at this point she didn’t think she could make it through the rest of the school year without Richie. “I’m talking about school, asshole. Richie and I are just friends.”

Seth raised an eyebrow in question, “You punch all your friends’ brothers in the face?”

Her eyes narrowed as he stood to approach her, invading her personal space so much so that she could faintly feel his warm breath against her face. “Only the ones that deserve it.” She hated that the words sounded so breathy, she hated that this man was affecting her this way. Kate was sure Seth knew what he was doing to her.

His hand reached up, as if to touch her face, but Kate didn’t allow him to get that far and quickly slapped it away. Meeting his calculating eyes with a warning gaze, she hissed, “Do not touch me.”

What could have been interpreted as a soft look crossed Seth’s face for the briefest of moments before the ever-present smirk took residence once again on his lips. “And what are you going to do about it, sweetheart?”

“She won’t do anything.” A new voice said from the door way. Turning, Kate found Richie standing there, his face serene in his indifference, but his eyes betraying his anger. “I don’t want you messing with her, Seth.”

Seth smiled, “Come with me, then, brother. You can put as much distance between the princess and I as you want. 

Richie scoffed and made his way fully into the room, closing his front door behind him, Boris coming from whatever crack or crevice he’d been hiding in to rub up against his owner’s leg. Richie placed a soft hand on Kate’s shoulder, moving her so that it was he who was facing off with his brother, a calculated move and an assumption of power over the situation. Richie further showed himself a fierce opponent when both Kate and Seth realized this was the behavior of a man not willing to give up his position. “I’m not going with you, Seth. Frankly, I want you to leave.” 

Rather than the anger Kate had been expecting, she watched as Seth’s face formed a new calmness; a brother ready to go toe to toe. “I need you, Richie. I need that nerd brain of yours if I’m gonna make it out of this one alive.”

“If you knew the risk was your life, why would you take this chance?” Richie asked, “Why are you willing to put my life in danger?”

Seth shook his head, “You know that the two of us together are unstoppable. That’s why Carlos wants both of us.”

Richie faltered for a moment, reminded of the old days of crime with his big brother, but did not relent, “I said no, Seth. I’m done with that life. I want to be normal. I want to make an honest living and buy myself a house and find a girl and settle down. I’m done living on the run!" 

“With the money we would get from this job, you could do all that! $10 mil and you’re set for life, brother!”

Richie rolls his eyes, “You know that’s never how it works. There’s no such thing as ‘one last job,’ I’m just set until you blow through your half and come back to me to go another round.” Sighing, Richie pinches the bridge of his nose, “I just can’t, okay? I’m out of the game, find someone else.”

This is what ignited Seth’s anger, “It’s the girl, isn’t it?!” His attention flies to Kate and he takes a menacing step towards her, only for Richie to follow his footwork and posture himself between her and danger.

“It is not Kate, Seth. She’s helped me through a lot but she’s my friend. Nothing more.”

It’s evident that Seth doesn’t believe his brother, but he takes 2 steps back regardless. “I can’t believe you’d let a girl come between us.” 

Richie’s face twists at this comment and his words come out like daggers, “What, like Vanessa?” 

“That was different, she was my _wife._ ” 

Kate would never admit it, but the idea of Seth being married made her stomach twist in a most uncomfortable way. 

“She kicked me out! She convinced everyone I was crazy! She had Uncle Eddie locked up in an asylum, yet you still defend her! I’d take Kate over that woman any day!” At his brother’s words, Seth’s gaze fell to Kate once again only this time there was no aggression. Rather, it was as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle.

As if he was comparing her to his wife. 

“Just get out, Seth.” Richie finally pushes out, quietly. It’s not strained but it’s evident there’s pain there.

Seth gathers his things, making his way to the door. “I’ve got a month to change your mind. Carlos is doing some recon and doesn’t want to kick off too soon and be unprepared. Don’t think I’m done here, brother.”

With that, he leaves with the slamming of the door.


	4. resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short. Some conflict resolution with Kate and Richie.

It was Wednesday the week of finals and Kate was already done. She didn't know how she had lucked out with such early exams, but she wasn't complaining. It was, conveniently enough, also her last day of work before the break. Yes, in 6 short hours, she'd be parking her tush on Richie's couch and not moving for at least 2 weeks. 

Kate was worried about Richie though. It had been just a few days since the last time they'd seen his brother and she could sense that something was off with him. She didn't think he wanted to join his brother but feared he might relent simply out of want for past times spent together. Richie probably would never show it, but she knew he had a soft side for Seth and she simply could not bring herself to fault him for it. Heck, If Scott showed up on her door step with a crazy plan in mind she would probably go along with him just for nostalgia's sake - though the difference is his scheme wasn't likely to be against the law. 

Unfortunately for Kate, she was done and now this was all that she could think about. She had no studying or work with which she could distract her crazed mind. She felt out of control and feared being left alone again. Though, counterintuitively, this fear of losing Richie was driving her to avoid him. She kept herself closed off from his attempts to strike up conversation and, Richie noticed, she'd gone back to the way she'd acted with him when their relationship was strictly that of TA and student. 

Richie didn't like it. He was upset at his brother's sudden reappearance in his life, he was being faced with a very difficult decision of going back to a life of crime that he's used to as well as good at, and now the only friend he's got isn't talking to him. 

"Are we going to talk about this?" Richie asks, having had to confront her at her dorm when she neglected to show up at his apartment as they'd originally planned. 

Kate stands in her doorway, fluffy warm unicorn pajama pants on and a tub of ice cream in her hand. "There's nothing to talk about, Richard."

He lets out a small snort, "Maybe not to you, since your solution to this is just to avoid it and me all together, but I don't want to spend all of break alone and miserable without you so I need you to tell me what's wrong or what you're scared of so I can make it right." 

Kate is stunned to say the least and pushes the door wider to allow Richie to enter. She seals her ice cream and stashes it safely in the tiny freezer of the mini fridge that's tucked beneath her bed. She sits on the edge and looks Richie in the eyes, "I'm scared you're going to leave me. I'm scared I'm going to be left here alone. And I feel guilty, because I know if given the choice I would choose going with Scott over everything so I can't fault you for it but that doesn't make it any less scary. Without you here I have nothing." 

"Kate…" He trails off softly only to be cut off. 

"No, Richie. I know he's your brother. I'm not going to make you choose between your brother and me. It's not fair, ok? I can't do that to you." 

Richie shakes his head, "You're not doing that to me, Kate. The only thing you're doing to me is driving me crazy by avoiding me. And you are important to me, but it's more than leaving just you. I'd be leaving my degree, my job, a school I love, and any chance at a stable future. My brother means a lot to me, and all that we've been through is not without it's worth to me. But I can't go back to that lifestyle. It's not healthy, it's not safe, and I'm not leaving you." 

The dam that had been holding back Kate's tears finally broke, and not for the first time in the past few days. Only this time Richie was there to help her through the emotions she'd never truly been able to handle on her own. 

"Come on, let's go back to my apartment and get you some real food. You can cuddle with Boris all night and we can watch that stupid show you like so much." 

"Parks and Rec is not stupid!" Kate said with a playful scowl, relenting to follow him without changing out of her sweats knowing she could be comfortable around Richie.


End file.
